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Shin Kuroda: Maturing at 3 to 5 inches long, this Japanese variety is tender and
flavorful.

Varieties from other retailers include Atlas, Caracas and Parmex. There are almost enough types
to furnish a putt-putt course with little round carrots instead of golf balls.

With a few basic pointers, carrots aren’t hard to grow.

“The No. 1 mistake is planting too deep,” McFarland said.

The seeds are so tiny that they need only the lightest covering of soil; some gardeners merely
press them into the soil surface and don’t cover them at all.

The seeds also take two or three weeks to germinate, McFarland said, so be patient.

A popular technique is to mingle carrot seeds with a fast grower such as radishes. The radishes
sprout quickly and help you remember where the carrots are. By the time the carrots start needing
space, you have picked and eaten the radishes.

Otherwise, the requirements for carrots are straightforward.

Plant seeds in early spring in full sun, and keep the soil moist. Thin seedlings to a couple of
inches apart. If orange crowns start peeking out of the soil, lightly mulch to keep them from
turning green.

Carrots can be harvested when they turn orange, or you can leave them in the ground for weeks or
even months.